Copa de Amor
by Coffee-Flavored Fate
Summary: Coffee isn't the only thing brewing for the boys behind the counter of this little coffeeshop this Valentine's Day. One cup of the Filtro de Amor, and love is on its way! ...Or is it? A oneshot served up in bite-sized pieces. Romerica, Gerita, Spain/UK
1. Breve

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_This oneshot is pretty much finished, except for the last scene, which is giving me heck. And...it got to be pretty big, so I decided to break it up into smaller chunks, for easier digestion. Because trying to read it all at once gave some people headaches. XD_

_So what I'm going to do, is post one installment of this oneshot a day. I know that would technically make it a chaptered fic, but really it's a oneshot! Split into easily-eaten pieces. Like a cake, or something equally delicious. _

_There should be about 11 installments, give or take. _

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><p>"...and then you draw two interlocking hearts into the foam, like this," Antonio, part-owner and full-time manager of the coffeeshop <em>Copa de Amor<em>, explained as he demonstrated the preparation of his latest creation, "and sprinkle on some dark chocolate, and there we go!" He presented the cup with a proud flourish. "That's how you make today's special!"

"Looks simple enough." Lovino, Antonio's cousin and full-time barista, commented.

"What a cute special!" Feliciano, his brother and fellow barista, exclaimed. "What's it called?"

"The _'Filtro de Amor'_." Antonio set the cup down and rummaged under the counter. "We'll give everyone who orders it a free kiss with every cup!"

"W-what!" Lovino sputtered, outraged. "I'm not kissing anyone, bastard!"

"I'll do it!" Feliciano volunteered happily. "I think it's a great idea!"

"You're not kissing anyone, either, idiot!" Lovino smacked his brother on the head, causing him to pout and rub the spot, looking reproachful.

"Now Lovi, there's no reason to be difficult about this." Antonio chided, straightening and setting a container on the counter. "Just put a kiss on the saucer, or on the lid if they order it to go; like this." He opened the container and pulled out a foil-wrapped chocolate kiss, setting it on the edge of the saucer of the beverage he'd just prepared. "See? Isn't that nice?"

"Oh, a _candy_ kiss." Feliciano realised, and smiled. "That's cute, too!"

"Oh." Lovino relaxed, the blush fading from his cheeks. _Candy_ kisses were okay. "Say that it's candy earlier, next time."

"I'll leave this here so it'll be easy to reach." Antonio placed the lid back on the container, and pushed it a little closer to the coffee machine. "Thanks again for agreeing to work today, boys. It's tough to find help on Valentine's Day. I hope it doesn't interfere with your plans!"

"It's okay, we don't have any plans." Feliciano reassured him, as he and his brother pulled on their black aprons. "So we're happy to help!"

"I'm here for the time-and-a-half." Lovino said, tying his own apron. "Time-and-a-half _plus_ overtime, don't forget."

"Yes, yes, of course." Antonio agreed, and shook his head sadly. "I can't believe none of us have any plans for Valentine's Day! Look at us! We're handsome, sweet and charming; not to mention we're _fantastic_ lovers." He grinned and winked, causing Lovino to snort and Feliciano to giggle. "So what are we doing wrong?"

"You and Feliciano are idiots," Lovino informed him, nudging him aside so he could practice making the special. "And I work too damn much to meet anyone worthwhile."

"You don't have anyone you like, Lovi?" Antonio asked with surprise.

"I have someone I like." Feliciano offered, sliding a tray of pastries into the display next to the register. "But, he doesn't feel the same way." He added, a little sadly.

"I know how you feel, Feli." Antonio slumped on the counter, dejectedly pillowing his head on folded arms. "The person I like hates my guts. And I don't know why! We used to be such good friends."

"Probably because you're an idiot." Lovino reiterated unhelpfully, causing Antonio to pout. "And he's an idiot, too." He set a cup next to Antonio's elbow, and Antonio reached to take it, brightening when he glanced down at the picture in the foam.

"Oh, you drew a tomato! How cute! Thank you, Lovi!" He enthused, reaching an arm out to hug his prickly cousin-slash-employee, but Lovino dodged out of reach and brushed past him, barely managing to avoid the onslaught of affection on his way to the storeroom.

"Hurry up and finish it, bastard. It's almost time to open the shop."

"Oh, you're right! I'll just finish this, and then I'll write the special on the board. Feli, could you put the signs up, please, and start the register? We'll open in five minutes." Setting down his empty cup and licking his lips, Antonio clapped his hands, eyes twinkling. "Let's get ready for Valentine's Day!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Pssst, guys, you're late.<em>

_I love Valentine's day. It's one of the two holidays I enjoy (being kind of disinterested in Holidays in general, otherwise). But this year has been kind of ...eventful, and on top of that I tend to lose track of time. This year I woke up on Valentines and thought 'Thank goodness I have four more days 'til Valentines. That gives me plenty of time to write a oneshot!'. Then I went out for coffee and mentioned that to a friend, and he looked at me like I was nuts, and informed me how terribly, terribly wrong I was; shattering all my illusions! Alas, I was distraught. I'd never missed a Valentines day before! I had so many flowers to order! Everyone was going to get them late! and the worst part? I didn't have time to get a one-shot written in time for Valentines! *cue epic fall to knees while being careful not to spill the coffee* Nooooooooo!_

_Long story short, this has taken a lot longer to get written than I planned, for various reasons. _


	2. Café Con Leche

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_Man, now I'm really craving a latte..._

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><p>Business was surprisingly good, although upon reflection, Lovino realized he shouldn't have been surprised. The coffeeshop was a regular date-spot for the local University campus, and was building a steady following among the residents of the small town in which it was located, as well. The Copa de Amor was known not only for the quality of its coffee and friendly service (when the easily-irritated Lovino was mostly relegated to the task of <em>making<em> the drinks while the other, 'friendlier', employees took the orders), but also for its romantic and intimate atmosphere; all of which made it an obvious choice for a visit on a romance-themed holiday like Valentine's.

"I thought that rush was _never_ going to end." Lovino groaned, reaching for a cloth to wipe down the brewing counter. It was amazing how dirty everything could get after a couple hours of making drinks. He wiped up the spatters of coffee and syrups and creams, scooping the grains of sugar or cocoa dusting the surface of the counter into his hand and dumping it in the nearby bin. In the lobby, Antonio was performing similar cleaning duties, wiping down tables and sweeping the floor, while Feliciano collected abandoned cups and saucers, bringing them to the back to be washed. On normal days there were maybe two to three 'rushes' of customers, lasting an hour and a half or less, but today it had been an almost constant flow of people from the moment they'd opened until now, several hours later. Sales had been great and the tip jar was overflowing, but all three of the young men were glad of the breather.

"It _has_ been very busy today, hasn't it." Antonio sighed, dumping the pile of dirt he'd swept up into dustpan into the trash. He straightened, arching backwards to stretch his back, pressing his forearm to his lower back. "_Oh_, that feels good." He sighed when it cracked, and rolled his shoulders. "All that bending over the counter is very hard on my back."

"I washed the cups." Feliciano announced, returning from the backroom with a rack of clean dishware. "Now we should have plenty if there's another rush."

"Oh, thanks." Lovino took the rack from his brother, sliding it into place under the machine, where he could reach them easily when he was making the drinks. "I only had one cup left."

"Good job, boys." Antonio said, putting the broom and dustpan away. "Lovino, why don't you make us all something to drink while we have a little downtime?"

"I want the special!" Feliciano volunteered, leaning on the counter and splitting their tips into three equal shares. "I want to try it."

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Lovino acknowledged, pulling out some fresh cups. "One Filtro de Amor, coming right up. You want the kiss, too?"

"Yep!" Feliciano chirped, wiggling a little as he sprawled across the counter surface. "What're you going to have, Romano?" He asked, using the name his brother preferred to use at work. 'Romano' was Lovino's middle name, and also the one written on his nametag, since customers tended to stumble over the name 'Lovino', or worse, giggle like idiots. Antonio refused to use it ("But 'Lovi' is _cuter, _Lovi~!"), but thankfully everyone else did so; if only because of the intimidating way Lovino glared at them if they didn't.

"None of your business, idiot." Lovino answered as he drew the hearts in his brother's foam. "An espresso, of course."

"I'll have the special. You should try one too, Lovi~." Antonio remarked, leaning on the counter across from Feliciano, pocketing the his share of their tips. "It might bring you luck in love."

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Feliciano smiled wistfully, taking the cup his brother handed him. Lovino only snorted and grabbed his own tips before returning to make another for Antonio.

"The Filtro de Amor is a potion of love." Antonio sing-songed dreamily. "One cup, and true love will come to you."

"It's _cappuccino chiaro_ with cocoa liquor and a hint of cayenne, sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings." Lovino corrected, handing Antonio his drink and pouring himself an espresso. "And besides, love potions are supposed to make the one who _drinks_ them fall in love, stupid."

"Not this one." Antonio assured him cheerfully, picking up his drink. "_This _is a potion that calls your true love to come to you."

"Does it really?" Feliciano wondered, staring into his cup.

"Yep!" Antonio answered, smiling confidently. "It's a drink of love!"

"No." Lovino answered even more confidently, sipping his espresso. "It's a drink for idiots."

Antonio pouted briefly in his direction. "I'm the boss, and I say it's a drink of love! And what the boss says, goes!" He asserted, and sent Feliciano a wink, lifting his cup. "Besides, it's nice to hope, isn't it?"

"Yes," Feliciano lifted his own cup, smiling back. "It is."

"Idiots." Lovino sighed into his espresso.

They'd barely finished their drinks when another rush started. It was an especially chaotic one, partially due to the fact that a double-decker tour bus had stopped nearby, and most of the passengers opted to look into the cute little coffeeshop with the unusual name which the tour guide had highly recommended. The little shop almost overflowed with the influx of almost a hundred curious tourists, and the flashing of the cameras and the excited chatter and loud exclamations as tourists called each other over to look at interesting bits of decor they'd found, or try the drink they'd ordered, or see the cute butts on the adorable little coffee boys tried even _Feliciano's_ seemingly saintly good humour and patience near the end. Thankfully, though chaotic it was also comparatively short, and barely three-quarters of an hour had passed before everyone had gotten their coffee or tea and returned the bus to carry on with their tour, leaving three slightly shell-shocked young men in their wake (their spirits were recharged considerably when they noticed that the tourists had tipped like drunken sailors, and they had _another_ overflowing tip jar awaiting their attentions). Business was steady for a while after that, but not overwhelming. There were only a handful of customers in the shop, and no-one had come in for a good twenty minutes when the bell over the door rang to announce another entry.

"Oi, Feli." Lovino prompted, glancing over at the door and then at his brother, who was leaning on the counter and staring vacantly into space. "That bastard friend of yours is here."

Feliciano blinked, coming back down to earth from wherever he'd been, and followed his brother's gaze to the tall blond who'd just walked through the door. "Ludwig?" He smiled, straightening to greet his best friend, who stood stiffly in front of the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"Feliciano," Ludwig started, hesitating. "Feliciano, I..."

"Is something wrong?" Feliciano asked, frowning worriedly. Ludwig was never hesitant about anything, so something terrible must have happened.

"Feliciano, I..." Ludwig stammered, mouth working as he tried to get the words out.

"...Ludwig?" Feliciano asked, _really_ worried now.

"I LIKE YOU!" The confession rang out, drawing the attention of everyone in the coffeeshop. Every eye was on the tall blond who stood, looking nervous and a little terrified and deeply embarrassed, but also determined as he thrust the bouquet of roses he held at the Feliciano. "Please be my boyfriend!"

Feliciano blinked at the flowers which obscured his vision, and reached out to take them. He stared at them for a long moment, and looked up at the man across the counter. "Ludwig, you...like me?"

Ludwig shifted and rubbed the back of his neck, blush deepening. "Yes. I, we've been friends for a long time now, Feliciano, and recently I've come to realise that I care for you as...more than a friend. And if you're willing, I'd like to become...partners. Er, l-lovers. I, I," struggling with the words, he closed his eyes and looked away, face burning, and squaring his shoulders and clenching his fists at his sides he admitted, "I...love you."

"Ludwig..." Feliciano breathed, lifting a hand to cover his mouth. He launched himself across the counter, flinging his arms around Ludwig's neck. "You've made me so happy!" He sobbed, clinging to the blond. "I love you too, Ludwig! Of course I'll be your boyfriend! Of course I will!"

"Y-you do?" Surprised, Ludwig hesitantly brought his arms up to hug him back. "You, you will?"

"Of course I will!" Felciano reiterated, kissing Ludwig's cheek, and hugging him again. "I'd love to be your boyfriend!"

"That's, I," Ludwig swallowed, overcome. "I'm, I'm very happy to hear that, Feliciano. Very happy."

"Ve~," Feliciano beamed, teary-eyed, and pulled back to kiss his new boyfriend as the coffeeshop erupted in cheers and applause.

Once the congratulations were over and both young men had caught their breath, Ludwig proposed, "Your shift's almost over, isn't it? I was thinking we could go out to eat, once you're finished working."

"Ohhhh, well," Feliciano started, glancing regretfully back at the register he was supposed to be manning. "Normally I'd get off in half an hour, but I'm supposed to help close today, for the holiday..."

"Oh." Ludwig paused a little awkwardly. "Then, perhaps after..."

Feliciano smiled, blushing happily. "Yes, I—"

"Don't worry about it, Feli." Antonio spoke up, smiling broadly. "You go ahead and go with Ludwig. Lovi and I can handle things here."

"Are you sure?" Feliciano asked hopefully, hesitantly reaching for the strings of the apron he wore.

"Of course I'm sure! It's Valentine's Day! It's a day for love!" Antonio assured, waving them off. "You two go ahead and enjoy it together!"

"Thank you!" Feliciano beamed, pulling his apron off and turning to Ludwig. "I'll just go put this away and grab my things, and we can go! Wait here for me!" Ludwig promised to do just that, and a short while later the new couple was heading out the doors, arm-in-arm.

"Bye 'Toni, bye Romano! Happy Valentine's Day!" Feliciano waved in farewell.

"You know this means we're going to have to deal with the lunch rush ourselves, bastard." Lovino pointed out. "You could have at least kept him for another two hours."

"I'm sure we can handle it." Antonio flapped a hand dismissively, and grabbed a cloth to wipe down the counter Feliciano's feet had been on. "I'll man the register and you'll make the coffee, and we'll be just fine. Besides, you saw how happy they were. It's for love, Lovi, love!"

Lovino sighed, but didn't argue. It _was_ nice to see his brother happy, although he didn't particularly care for Ludwig, who was a big macho idiot who drank too much beer and was far too bossy for anyone's good, in Lovino's opinion. Still, Feliciano had been pining after the moron forever, so it was about time the thickheaded blond jerk came around and realised he felt the same damn way. Lovino kicked the trash bin, wishing it was Ludwig's big fat head, and scowled. That bastard better not do _anything_ to upset Feliciano, or he'd wake up in a dark alley missing some very vital regions.

On the plus side, though, now they only had to split the tips two ways.

* * *

><p><em>AN: One down, two to go. *blows wisp of smoke from the barrel*<em>

_Can you tell I've worked in service establishments? I tell you: female tourists make no bones about calling their friends over to examine your 'charms', in my experience, and then proceeding to do so vocally. And take pictures. Foreign tourists of any sex also do this. On the plus side, they tend to tip well. **Very** well. _

_Still, it's a little disturbing to think of being in someone else's vacation album. _

_...actually you know what? Teenage girls do it even when they're not on vacation. They just don't tip as well. But they come more often, so it adds up. _


	3. Cortado

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_My computer is dying! Dyyyiiiiiinnnng! _

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><p>They <em>did<em> handle the lunch rush, although it was a bit of a stretch at some points. When things finally settled down a couple hours later and they'd cleaned up the aftermath, they took advantage of the lull to enjoy another well-deserved break.

"You really should try the Filtro de Amor, Lovi." Antonio urged, licking foam from his upper lip. "It's very good."

"Of course it is." Lovino agreed, finishing off the last of his own espresso and setting the cup aside. "I made it, didn't I?"

"But you still haven't tried it," Antonio pointed out, pouting a little. "Don't you want to be lucky in love? It worked for Feliciano!"

"What? No it didn't." Lovino snorted, going around the counter to restock the pastry display. "The coffee didn't have anything to do with that."

"Sure it did, Lovi!" Antonio leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. "It's a love potion that calls your true love to you, remember? Feliciano drank it, and his true love showed up, didn't he?"

"First of all," Lovino said dryly, slotting pasticiotti in place, "it's coffee, not a potion. Secondly, Feliciano's had feelings for Ludwig _forever_. And it's _Valentine's Day_, a day _dedicated_ to romance, so it's only natural that once the bastard realised his feelings he would wait 'til today to confess. And anyway," he added, frowning as he started refilling the cookies, "you don't know for sure if Ludwig's Feli's true love. He could just be some bastard who's going to break his heart."

"I don't think Ludwig will break Feli's heart." Antonio protested. "They're in love! And besides, the Filtro de Amor wouldn't bring him someone who wasn't his true love."

"...Have you been smoking wierd things when I wasn't looking?" Lovino asked suspiciously, furrowing his eyebrows at his cousin. "Or eating mushrooms you found growing under the sink in the backroom again?"

"Stop being so cynical, Lovi." Antonio continued, not heeding him. "You need to believe in love!"

"I believe in love," Lovino corrected, frown deepening as he closed the display and put away the pastry tray. "I just don't believe that today's special is a magic potion that calls your true love to you."

"Not 'magic'," Antonio insisted, "_love_."

Lovino shook his head, still not entirely sure if Antonio actually believed what he was saying or if his cousin was just having him on (although he suspected the former; Antonio could be very susceptible to suggestion, even his own). "If the Filtro de Amor's a love potion, then how come no-one's come in here for you? That's your third cup today. Feliciano only had one."

"Hmm." Antonio mused, looking thoughtful. "I don't know." He laughed a little as he handed Lovino his now-empty cup. "Maybe my true love's more stubborn!"

"Or maybe it's just coffee, and you're an idiot." Lovino deadpanned, taking the cup and depositing it under the counter as the bell over the door jingled again, signalling an end to their lull.

Two sets of eyebrows raised as they took in their newest customer: a slightly ruffled-looking blond man, dressed rather stiffly in a stuffy-looking suit that didn't quite suit him, clutching a bouquet of red carnations and a heart-shaped box of chocolates in his hands so tightly it seemed like he wanted to strangle the items, and all-in-all looking for all the world like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to turn tail and run or stay and fight.

"Arthur?" Antonio exclaimed in surprise, taken aback to see his erstwhile enemy walk through his doors. "What are you doing here?"

"This is a public establishment, isn't it?" Arthur sniffed a little stiffly, drawing himself up. "I have as much right to come here as anyone, I should think. Or aren't I welcome?"

"Well, yes, of course you're welcome to come here." Antonio nodded, blinking a little bemusedly. "It's just that I'm surprised to see you, I wouldn't have expected you to visit any place where I worked." He straightened and smiled, ruffling a hand through his hair, and gestured to the menu hanging on the wall behind him. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"T-tea would be nice, thank you." Arthur nodded slightly, coming to stand in front of the counter, tucking the box of chocolates under his arm. "Darjeeling, please."

Antonio nodded, and stepped along the counter to start brewing the order. "That's right, you never did care for coffee," he commented, pulling down a tin of loose-leafed tea and scooping some into an infuser, reaching under the counter with his other hand to pull out a porcelain cup to put it in. "It's always tea with cream and sugar for you."

"I suppose coffee has its place," Arthur allowed graciously, watching the manager of the shop pour hot water into the cup, "but I prefer the lighter, more elegant flavour of tea. Coffee is a touch too bitter for my taste."

"It's true coffee can be a little bitter," Antonio admitted with a chuckle, checking the status of the tea before he handed it over. "But, that's part of its charm." He winked, smile widening as he proffered the steaming cup to the blond. Flushing slightly, Arthur averted his gaze, accepting it without comment.

"This is a nice place you have here." He commented after a sip of his tea, glancing around the shop. "It seems rather well-appointed."

"It is nice, isn't it?" Antonio agreed, placing his hands on his hips and gazing around with proprietorial pride. "The boys and I put a lot of work into it, but it's a labour of love!"

"I can see that." Arthur nodded in understanding. "I'll be honest with you, Antonio; I never would have thought you had the head to run a business such as this." He set his tea down on the counter, smiling faintly. "When I heard you were opening a coffee shop, I was sure it would go under in no time at all; but the Copa de Amor has become quite popular. I have to admit, I'm impressed. You've done rather well for yourself."

"Oh? What's this?" Antonio's eyebrows rose once more. "Praise, from you? I never thought Arthur Kirkland of all people would be complimenting me. This _is_ a day for surprises!"

"Yes, well," Arthur flushed again, shifting on his feet. "I, I don't see any reason why we have to be at each other's throats all the time. We're both adults now, after all. We should be able to put childhood differences behind us, don't you think?"

Antonio brightened, smile growing. "You want to be friends again?"

"S-something like that." Arthur admitted, flushing slightly. He shifted again for a moment, looking uncomfortable and embarrassed, and then snatched the carnations and box of chocolates from the counter, thrusting them forcefully into Antonio's arms. _"Here."_

"You want me to hold them for you?" Antonio inquired, blinking at the items in his arms. Arthur exhaled in frustration, slapping a hand over his face.

"_No_, you id— Antonio." He corrected himself, straining to be civil. "They're for you. A _gift_." He added for emphasis, hoping that would get through.

"They are?" Antonio glanced between the flowers and chocolates and Arthur, looking confused. "That's...very nice of you, Arthur. But, why would you get me flowers?"

"_Because,_ I—" Arthur ruffled his already-ruffled hair, struggling for words, and sighed, shoulders slumping. "Antonio, I...I've never hated you. You're one of the most _infuriating_ men I've ever met, if only because you're so _incredibly_ clueless, but despite that...or perhaps because of it, I...I really quite like you. Rather more than like you, in point of fact, and though we've had our differences at times I find that no matter how much you infuriate me a large part of me finds it endearing and, and disturbingly stimulating and I don't know whether to throttle you or push you down; except if I _did_ you would probably think I was trying to throttle you _anyway_ and it would be _completely_ pointless, but I can't help thinking about it constantly, and even worse I, I want to be _domestic_ with you." Arthur slammed his hands down on the counter, and fixed Antonio with a hopeful stare. "I, I know I probably don't have any sort of a chance here, and I'm probably making a complete fool of myself even asking, but I _have_ to know if there's _any_ chance you feel anything for me at all other than animosity. If you don't feel the same way, I'll, I'll leave and not trouble you again, but if you _do_, then please tell me now."

"You don't hate me?" Antonio repeated, frowning in confusion. He placed the gifts he'd recieved down on the counter, and leaned against it with a sigh, confessing, "I don't understand, Arthur. What are you trying to say?"

Arthur dropped his head onto the counter, sobbing in frustration. Lovino had never particularly liked Arthur Kirkland, but right now he couldn't help feeling bad for the poor bastard.

"He's trying to confess, idiot_."_ He told his cousin, who looked at him, and back at the man on the counter, still frowning in confusion.

"Confess? Confess what? What did Arthur do?"

It was Lovino's turn to slap his face into his hand, exhaling in frustration. "Not like that, dumbass! He's trying to tell you he _loves_ you!"

"He does?" Antonio blinked, turning to Arthur. "You do? Is that true, Arthur?"

"As much as I wish it wasn't at this moment; yes, I do." Arthur said tiredly, pushing himself up and attempting to straighten his ruffled clothing and hair. "Although it's quite clear now you don't feel the—umph!" His eyes widened comically as Antonio reached across the counter to grab the back of his head, yanking him forward and kissing him thoroughly.

"You should have _said_ something." Antonio panted, when he finally pulled back. "I've always loved you, too."

Arthur's face screwed up indignation. "I _did_ say— wait, what?" His indignation melted away as his ears caught up with his brain. "Y-you love me?"

"Yes!" Antonio pursed his lips in frustration, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, Arthur, you can be such an idiot sometimes." He ignored Arthur's incredulous yelp of protest. "Why did you think I was always telling you you're _muy guapo?"_

" Wha— is that a _compliment?"_ Arthur's face screwed up in confusion. "I, I thought you were making fun of me!"

"Well, sometimes I was," Antonio admitted, grinning. "But I always meant it, too. You're just so cute when you're angry!"

"You idiot." Arthur growled threateningly, throwing Antonio down on the counter and climbing on top of him. "When I'm through with you you won't be able to walk for a week!"

"I'm not the only idiot here, _idiota_." Antonio grinned, eyes flashing challengingly as he yanked Arthur into another kiss.

"You're both idiots!" Lovino yelled, kicking them off the counter and leaning across it to glare at them where they'd landed in a tangled heap on the floor. "You can't do that here!"

"He's right." Antonio panted as he got to his feet, pulling Arthur up after him. "This isn't the place for this. Let's go back to my place, Arthur."

"A-actually," Arthur stuttered a little breathlessly, flushed and dazed, "I was thinking we could go out to eat, have a...proper date. I have a standing reservation at this brilliant little restaurant downtown, I, " he blushed, taking both Antonio's hands in his as he confessed, "I want to do this right, right from the beginning. I'm serious about you, Antonio." Antonio stared wide-eyed at him for a moment, and then visibly melted, smiling fondly as he pulled Arthur into soft kiss.

"_Tu eres muy guapo, idiota."_ He murmured. "I've always been serious about you."

Lovino groaned, slumping on the counter in foreknowledge of what was to come. He sighed, flapping a hand at the pair when they looked over, finally remembering that he was there. "Go on, go. I know you're going to, anyway."

"Are you sure, Lovi?" Antonio's brows furrowed worriedly, suddenly remembering his responsibilities. "Do you think you can handle closing the shop on your own?"

"Of course I can!" Lovino scowled, insulted at the lack of faith in his abilities. "I'm not an idiot like you! It's only five hours. I'll be fine."

"Okay, if you're sure." Antonio smiled, turning back to Arthur, jerking his head towards the door. "Shall we go, Arthur?"

"Yes, let's." Arthur nodded, gesturing for Antonio to go first. "You know, you probably shouldn't refer to your cousin as 'Lovi', Antonio. It gives people entirely the wrong idea."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Oi, take your junk with you, bastard!" Lovino interrupted, pushing the forgotten flowers and chocolates across the counter. "I don't want it here!"

"Oh, yes!" Antonio hurried back to gather them up, tucking the chocolates under an arm and burying his nose in the carnations with an appreciative sound as he returned to Arthur's side. "You know, red carnations are my favourite flower."

"I know." Arthur said a little smugly, holding the door open. He turned to Lovino before following Antonio out, adding, "And thank you, Romano. Your understanding is... appreciated."

"You'd just better not hurt him, bastard." Lovino threatened. "You treat him right, got that?"

"Don't worry." Arthur nodded."I intend to."

"Good. And if you have something to say to him, tell him outright." Lovino advised. "Antonio can't take a hint. He's kind of an idiot."

Arthur blinked for a moment, then chuckled wryly. "That's...very good advice, Romano; thank you." He agreed, smiling a little self-depreciatingly as he left. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind."

Lovino shook his head, and went to thoroughly scrub the counter.

* * *

><p><em>AN: (The Copa de Amor is mostly successful due to his cousins. Lovino does the accounting and Feliciano takes care of ordering the things they need, while Antonio is more on the ideasscheduling end of things. Gilbert's the store's other part owner, but he mostly fronted the cash and let Antonio do what he wanted. He comes in from time to time for free coffee and pastries, but otherwise he spends most of his time flitting from one project to another, or playing with his motorcycle. He does not feature in this fic.)_

_Antonio/Arthur (or Arthur/Antonio, as it pleases you) is brought to you by the fact that I have been listening to **'Spanish Ladies'** over and over again while writing this, and it gave me a persistent inspiration for an England/Spain fic which I will probably never write, because it is largely a tragedy. I'd love to do an AMV for it if I ever learn to draw and have the time, which is unlikely, so c'est la vie._

_Though I may write the sequel, in which they get back together (through their babies, who are totally dating muahaha because Romerica, I write that). I have three favourite pairings for Spain, and three for England; Spain/England isn't a bad match. I could see it working, especially as non-personifications. Their personalities mesh alright, they'd have their ups and downs, but I think it could be a pretty solid, healthy relationship. And they look pretty damn cute together, which is an added bonus (hardly the basis for a relationship, but a nice perk if everything else works out nicely)._


	4. Espresso Romano

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

_What do you even call Spain/England/Spain? Britain? Teamato? Spangland? __Espannia? Espania? I could go with that. Hail, Espania! Espania rules the waves~ (okay I just like that song)_

_...Battleship?_

_If it was 'Espania' would it need the wavy thingy over the ñ? Or no. __Man I don't know. Anyway way you want to say it, I guess! _

* * *

><p>Forty-five minutes after they'd left Lovino was sprawled listlessly on the counter, staring at nothing in particular. Three customers had arrived within minutes after Antonio and Arthur had left, but after they'd placed their orders and departed, business had been dead. The shop was empty, the street outside was empty, and Lovino was bored out of his mind.<p>

It was a nice change, actually.

He pushed himself up on an elbow with a sigh, leaning his chin in his hand. Valentine's Day, huh? It wasn't that he didn't like the holiday, or even that he wasn't romantically inclined, but he had a hard time feeling like it was an actual holiday. It felt just like any other day to him. Maybe it was because he didn't have anyone he was interested in, unlike Feliciano and Antonio.

There was a red petal stuck in a crack under the register: one of the petals from Antonio's carnations. He dug it out, spinning it between his fingers. Kind of weird that giving flowers was a sign of love, come to think of it. A flower was just a plant, really. Sure, it was pretty, but it's not like there weren't other pretty things out there. Feathers, for instance. Feathers were neat, and kind of pretty, and came in lots of different types and colours. He had a sudden mental image of Arthur shoving a bouquet of feathers at Antonio, and snorted. Okay, so that was kind of ridiculous. But not much more ridiculous than flowers, if you really thought about it.

He dropped the petal, pushing himself up off the counter, and stretched, arching his back and rolling his shoulders and neck, exhaling and setting his hands on his hips. Well, the store was clean and there was no-one around, so he probably had time for a coffee. He pulled out a clean cup and went for his customary espresso, and paused. Now that Antonio wasn't around to harass him into it, he might as well try the special. It actually looked good. He liked cappuccinos, and chocolate, and if he was going to be manning the store alone for the rest of the night he could probably use the sugar. There was usually one last rush of customers an hour or so before closing time, but since it was a holiday there was no telling what the night held in store.

The Filtro de Amor _was_ good, although he wasn't going to mention that to Antonio or Feliciano. He even opted for the kiss, partly because he liked chocolate, and partly because if you were going to do something, you might as well do it right. He was just putting away the empty cup and chucking out the foil wrapper when the bell jingled, announcing another entry.

"Hey guys!" A cheerful voice rang through the empty shop. "How's everybody's Valentine's going?"

"Alfred?" Lovino blinked in surprise at the tall blond who'd just strode through the door. Alfred F. Jones was the coffeeshop's newest employee. He'd only been working at the Copa de Amor for a few months, usually working evenings and weekends; but he wasn't scheduled for tonight. "What are you doing here?"

"Romano?" The blond balked. He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening slightly, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, looking taken aback. "I, uh...I didn't know you were working tonight. You don't usually work Thursdays."

Lovino narrowed his eyes, a little irked. "Yeah, well, I'm working today. You know you're not on the schedule, right?"

"What? Oh, uh, yeah." Alfred admitted, coming to stand in front of the counter. "I thought I'd try the special. 'Toni said it was going to be really good."

"It's alright." Lovino admitted, stepping up to the machine. "For here, or to go?"

"Oh, uh," Alfred bit his lip, glancing between Lovino and the counter, looking like he was struggling internally with the decision. Lovino quirked an eyebrow at him, not seeing why it would be such a difficult choice. Either he wanted to stay or he didn't, simple as that. Finally the young man slumped on the counter in defeat. "To go, I guess."

Lovino shrugged a shoulder, grabbing a take-out cup and getting started. Alfred sighed, pulling something long and white out of his hoodie pocket and toying with it absently as he waited for his drink.

"What've you got there?" Lovino asked, curiosity aroused. Alfred glanced at him, a little surprised he'd spoken, and lifted the thing he was holding so Lovino could see it better.

"Feather I found." He explained, twirling it between his fingers, and held it out to Lovino. "It's kind of pretty, don't you think?"

Lovino set down the cup for a moment and took it, turning it over. It was long wide and smooth, but downy near the shaft; and so soft white it almost looked like it was glowing, with a couple of smoky grey patches near the tip. "Yeah, it is."

"I think it's an owl feather." Alfred commented, leaning his chin in his hand. "You can keep it if you'd like."

Lovino spun the shaft between his fingertips, watching the feather twirl, and decided he did like. "Thanks." He said, placing it carefully on top of the machine, and returned to brewing Alfred's drink. "You want the hearts in your foam?"

"There are hearts in the foam?" Alfred inquired, one side of his mouth quirking up. "Cute."

"There's supposed to be, though when it's to go some people don't bother." Lovino informed him, and frowned, banging the side of the machine. "Dammit."

"What's wrong?" Alfred leaned further across the counter, tilting his head to try and see what was going on.

"Nothing," Lovino answered automatically, fussing with a spout, and then pounding the side of the machine again. "The frother isn't working. I can't get the milk to foam."

"Here, lemme see." Alfred jumped the counter and gestured for Lovino to step aside so he could have a look. "It's probably just jammed."

"It shouldn't be, I just cleaned it out a couple hours ago." Lovino frowned, backing away to let Alfred mess with it. If anything happened to the machine, they were _screwed_. Gilbert was the only person who knew how to fix it, and that bastard was out of town for who-knew-how long on some stupid motorcycle tour of the country. _"Dammit,_ it'd better not be broken."

"Well, you're right, it's not jammed." Alfred said absently, peering down the spout he'd unscrewed, and reached up to fiddle with the machine. "I'm going to have to open it up. One sec." He knelt, pulling a pocketknife out of his pocket and beginning to unscrew the side panel. "It's probably just a loose pipe. Shouldn't take long to fix."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Lovino said dubiously, stepping back from the scene of the crime in progress. If anything went wrong, he wanted to be able to say he wasn't anywhere near the machine when it happened. "Do you even know what you're doing, bastard?"

"Of course I do." Alfred stated, flipping the panel out and reaching inside. "Yep, loose pipe. Hang on, I got it." He grunted, sticking his tongue out between his teeth and concentrating as he fussed with something in the bowels of the machine for several long moments. "There!" He said triumphantly, and withdrew his hand, glancing up over his shoulder at Lovino. "Try it now."

"Scoot over." Lovino nudged him aside with a foot, and Alfred blushed, jumping up and backing away several paces. Lovino frowned at him for a moment, before turning his attention to the task at hand. "It works." He said, a little surprised, and pulled back the little cup full of frothed milk. "You actually fixed it!"

"Of course I did!" Alfred grinned, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket again. "I said I would."

"Huh." Lovino remarked, still surprised. "How'd you learn how to do that?"

"I read the manual when I first started. And I've always been good with machines." Alfred shrugged a shoulder. "Now scoot, I have to put the panel back on."

"Yeah, 'kay." Lovino picked up the unfinished drink and stepped aside, moving over near the register to pour the foamed milk in. Once the coast was clear Alfred stepped up to the machine, kneeling down to screw the panel back on.

"So, are you the only one here?" Alfred wondered as he worked. "I thought Antonio and Feliciano worked today, too."

"Well, they did," Lovino said, reaching for the lid and a chocolate kiss to finish off the drink, "but then they didn't."

"Yeah? What happened?" Alfred frowned, slotting another screw into place. "They get sick or somethin'?"

"Nah," Lovino set the drink aside and leaned back against the counter, watching him work. "It's been kind of a weird day, actually." He confessed. "A few hours after we opened, Ludwig came in and confessed to Feliciano, so Antonio gave him the day off."

"Aw, that's sweet." Alfred grinned. "Good for him."

"Whatever." Lovino snorted. "Left me and Antonio to handle the lunch rush by ourselves, the selfish bastard." Alfred chuckled, wiggling the panel to see if it was secure.

"And then about an hour ago, Arthur Kirkland came in and confessed to Antonio," there was a clatter as Alfred dropped his knife, and Lovino huffed in amusement as he watched him scrabbled for it on the floor, "and then they practically had sex on the counter before I kicked them out for indecent behaviour, and so now I've gotta close by myself."

"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry Romano," Alfred said, looking genuinely upset on his behalf. "Are, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lovino lifted a shoulder indifferently. "It's actually been pretty slow."

"No, I mean," Alfred stood, ruffling his hair a little awkwardly. "You and Antonio..." He gestured vaguely at Lovino, who stared blankly back at him, and bit his lip. "Are _you_...okay?"

"...Yes?" Lovino said slowly, giving him an odd look. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well," Alfred shifted uncomfortably. "You and Antonio were together, right? He's your— was your— boyfriend?"

Lovino blinked. And blinked again. And frowned, a little incredulous and disgusted. How on earth had he gotten _that_ idea? "Antonio's my _cousin._" He corrected slowly. "That would be incest."

Looking completely thrown by that information, Alfred stood for a moment, staring at Lovino. He opened his mouth to say something, and seemed to change his mind, closing it again, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Then he opened his mouth again. "So," he said hesitantly, "does that mean you're—" The jingle of the bell over the door interrupted him, and they both looked up to see a small crowd coming through the doors.

"This is going to be fun." Lovino commented dryly, moving to stand in front of the register. For a moment Alfred looked like he didn't know whether to be relieved or upset by the interruption, and then he smiled, exhaling resignedly.

"I'll stay and help." He offered, going to take his apron off the hook. "I'll take the orders, and you make the coffee?"

"Works for me, bastard." Lovino agreed, too grateful to relocate to a less customer-service intensive position to argue.

From that point on there was a steady flow of customers; couples dropping in after their dinner-dates, people stopping by after work, slightly tipsy people from the local bars looking to sober up, hopeful students looking to pick up a last-minute sweetheart, and the occasional random just in off the street to check the place out. Lovino and Alfred stayed on top of things pretty easily despite the chaos. Alfred took orders and smoothed over any issues that came up with a ready smile and boyish enthusiasm, effectively soothing any irritation the customers may have otherwise felt over the occasional longer-than-usual wait to place their order, and Lovino's expertise in the brewing field ensured that once the orders were placed any actual wait for the drink itself was limited to the minimum time required to prepare it.

Lovino had to admit, he and Alfred made a pretty good team. Alfred knew how to Get Things Done, so Lovino could focus on his own work without constantly having to check and make sure his coworker was staying on task. It was nice working with someone he didn't feel he needed to babysit.

Four hours passed by in a rush of coffee and chaos, until finally it was time to close.

* * *

><p><em>AN: It was time to close. But the customers Just Kept Coming, and eventually the boys were worked into exhaustion and eventual collapse, never knowing of the epic love they could have— oh no wait, wrong script. <em>

_*ahem* _


	5. Café Miel

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

_Alfred has a potty mouth. I have a cold. I would trade him, except his affliction is more permanent. And naughty. _

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><p>"Thanks for stopping by! Happy Valentines Day!" Alfred waved as their last customers departed for the night, closing the door and locking it, and flipping the sign hanging on it from 'Open' to 'Closed'. He turned, ruffling his hair and grinning at Lovino. "Man, that was nuts! I thought it was never going to end."<p>

"We're not done yet, bastard." Lovino said, chucking a washcloth at him. "You clean the lobby and wash the dishes, and I'll take care of the stuff back here."

"Haha, 'kay!" Alfred laughed, getting to work on the tables. Lovino set to work closing out the register and cleaning the machine, things he'd done often enough that he didn't even need to think about it anymore, and could let his mind wander. He glanced over to where Alfred was industriously scrubbing the tables and chairs, collecting discarded cups and things as he went; putting the disposable stuff in the trash and setting the ceramic cups and saucers aside to be washed.

He was a little surprised that Alfred had stayed. Not that he was ungrateful, of course, although he _could_ have handled things by himself; it was just that he was pretty sure Alfred had been avoiding him for a while for some reason— not that Lovino particularly _cared_ whether the bastard was avoiding him or not.

It was a little odd, though, because up until a few days ago he'd thought he and Alfred had actually had an unusually good working relationship. Not that they were best buds or anything, but Alfred was one of the few people who didn't seem to mind Lovino's prickly personality, or take his occasional brusqueness to heart. Most people tended to think his behaviour was directed at them personally, but Alfred seemed to understand that it was just how Lovino _was_. He even enjoyed Lovino's sarcastic sense of humour, and where Feliciano and Antonio would take him seriously and scold him for being mean, Alfred would usually laugh and agree, or answer back in kind, which often led to sessions of tongue-in-cheek banter that Lovino had been surprised to find he genuinely _enjoyed._ More than once they'd spent entire shifts good-naturedly sniping at each other, and judging by the grin on Alfred's face and the sparkle in his eyes, he'd been having just as much fun as Lovino.

Then a few weeks ago, without any explanation at all, the bastard had started avoiding him. He was surprisingly subtle about it, for Alfred, who tended to be straightforward about things. He'd never actually come out and said that he didn't want to work with Lovino any more, or given any indication that he had a problem with him. He'd just changed his availability to days when Lovino didn't usually work, and if they _were_ scheduled to work together Alfred would trade shifts with someone else. He'd even stopped dropping in on days when he knew Lovino would be working. No-one else had seemed to notice, and it'd even taken _Lovino_ a couple of weeks to realise he was being avoided; but after the fourth time Alfred had exchanged shifts with someone to keep from working with him, Lovino had put two and two together and figured it out.

Which was why Lovino had been surprised to see him walk through the door earlier. He must not have checked the schedule for today, or something. He'd certainly looked surprised to see Lovino. And yet he'd stuck around to help, and even chatted with him relatively normally before the rush came in, even if he was acting a bit weird. It didn't seem like Alfred was holding a grudge or even particularly upset with him as far as he could tell, so Lovino had no clue what the bastard's problem with him was.

He briefly debated _asking_, but it wasn't like he actually _cared_ that Alfred was avoiding him. It wasn't like they were _friends_. They were just two guys who happened to work at the same place. One of whom was a bastard and an idiot who avoided people without any explanation at all, and didn't have the balls to tell them why.

And how the hell had Alfred gotten the impression that he was in a relationship with _Antonio_, of all things?

"Why on earth did you think I was dating _Antonio?"_ He demanded without thinking, a little indignant. Alfred looked up, startled, and fumbled the bin of cups he was carrying.

"Uh," Alfred said, readjusting his hold on the bin. "Um, well, he's always hugging you, and stuff." He blushed, setting the bin on the counter, adding awkwardly, "And, uh, h-he always calls you 'Lovey'."

Lovino stared at him for a moment, brows furrowing. Then it clicked. _Oh_. He was so used to his cousin calling him 'Lovi' that he honestly hadn't thought of how it would look to people who didn't know they were related, especially in conjunction with his cousin's affectionate nature— Antonio was always hugging and kissing his cousins and two best friends on the cheek. He couldn't believe he hadn't considered it before. But then again, most of the people around here knew that he and Antonio were cousins, _and_ that Lovino's first name was 'Lovino', so it's not like it'd ever been an issue, up 'til now. But Alfred was relatively new to the area. He'd moved here just a couple of days before he'd started working at Copa de Amor, if Lovino remembered correctly; and he'd introduced himself as 'Romano', and that was the name on his tag, and what everyone else but Antonio called him— even his brother, when they were at work— so it was understandable that Alfred would have... gotten confused. (Especially since Feliciano always worked morning shifts, so he wouldn't have seen Antonio treat him the same way.)

"Idiot." He growled exasperatedly, chucking the towel he'd been using to dry the spigots after they'd soaked at Alfred's head. "That's my _name._"

"Eh?" Alfred pulled the towel off of his head, looking surprised. "Your name is 'Lovey'? But I thought it was Romano!"

"My first name is _Lovino._" Lovino corrected. "Romano is my _middle_ name. That's the name I use at work."

"Your name is 'Lovino'?" Alfred repeated, brows furrowed. "So, 'Lovi' is short for 'Lovino'?" His lips twitched, and he grinned. "That's just fuckin' cute. So, can I call you 'Lovi' too?"

"_Hell_ no." Lovino answered, snorting.

"Aw, come on!" Alfred coaxed. "You can call me 'Al' if you want."

"No thanks." Lovino said dryly, returning his attention to his work. "I don't like you that much, bastard."

"Ouch." Alfred winced dramatically, placing his hand over his heart and pouting theatrically. "You _wound_ me."

"I'll show you wounded if you don't hurry up and get those dishes done." Lovino threatened, lips twitching. "Stop slacking off and get back to work, or we'll never get out of here."

"Yeah, yeah." Alfred draped the towel over his shoulder and picked up the bin. "What's your hurry, anyway? You got somewhere else to be?"

"No, I just don't want to be stuck here with _you_ all night." Lovino answered, and held out his hand, ordering, "And give me my towel back, I need it to dry these."

Alfred smirked, sticking out his tongue as he ducked into the back room with the dishes, calling back over his shoulder, "Too bad for you, 'cause it's mine now, sucker."

"Hey!" Narrowing his eyes and definitely _not_ fighting a grin, Lovino chased after the bastard, because he couldn't let him get away with that even if there _were_ other towels he could use sitting neatly under the counter. It was the _principle_ of the thing, after all. It wasn't like he was having _fun_. "Give it back, bastard!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Everytime I hear 'Lovey' I think Thurston Howell III and his wife 'Lovey' from Gilligan's Island, who were an awesome couple. I love that nickname. I also love the name Lovino, which although many people say isn't a real name, isn't <strong>quite<strong> true; because technically it **is** a name, though an obscure one, from some of the areas surrounding **ancient** ancient Rome before it got all empyrical and expandy. To be honest though, I think Himaruya probably meant to name him Iovino, which is totally both an Italian name and a very popular Roman name, and mixed the L up for the I, which he occasionally tends to do (totally understandably). I tell you what though, I adore the name as it is._


	6. Caramel Machiatto

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_It just dawned on me that an alternative title for this oneshot could be 'Gentlemen Prefer Blonds'. _

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><p>"I think you got water in my ear." Alfred said reflectively a half hour later, tilting his head to one side and tapping the other side with the heel of his hand. His hair was plastered to his face with water, which dripped down his chin and neck onto the shoulders of his hoodie, which was otherwise mostly dry.<p>

"You deserved it." Lovino smirked, counting down the register. "That'll teach you to mess with me."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, slicking his dripping wet hair out of his face, and flicked water at Lovino, grinning when he squawked indignantly and wiped it off. "So do you think Antonio will be upset about the water on the floor?"

"Nah, it'll have dried up by morning." Lovino dismissed, putting the extra cash into a deposit bag and kneeling to throw it in the safe. "Besides, he'll be with Kirkland all night, so I don't think he'll be in a state to notice anything in the morning."

"That's good," Alfred chuckled, untying his apron. "I'd hate to get fired over a little water."

"He wouldn't fire you." Lovino snorted, shutting the safe and standing up. "He'd just— _nggh,_" he groaned, arching his back when the muscles in his lower back twinged in protest.

"You okay?" Concerned, Alfred looked over from where he was hanging his apron next to Lovino's.

"My back is _killing_ me." Lovino groaned again, reaching back to try and rub the spot. "I've been standing on this hard floor and bending over the stupid counter and that damn machine since opening time."

"Here." Alfred batted his hand away and replaced it with his own, rubbing firm circles into Lovino's aching muscles, and Lovino groaned again, in pleasure this time. "Better?"

"Nn," Lovino agreed, closing his eyes, letting his head fall forward, and ordered, "Shoulders next."

"'Kay." Alfred chuckled, and soon Lovino was sprawled bonelessly across the counter, humming with pleasure as Alfred kneaded the soreness from his overworked muscles.

"If you were a cat, you'd be purring." Alfred commented as he stroked firm lines down either side of Lovino's spine, observing his blissful, almost liquid state with some amusement.

"Shut up and keep doing that." Lovino murmured, head pillowed on his arms. "Where'd you learn to do this, anyway?"

Alfred huffed a laugh, and grinned. "I have a cat." He yelped, laughing when Lovino's heel made contact with his shin.

"Jerk." Lovino smirked in satisfaction, and sighed, relaxing as the firm pressure of Alfred's thumbs eased the tension from his shoulderblades. "Hey, Alfred."

"Hm?"

"You ever wonder why giving someone flowers is a sign of love?" Lovino asked, without opening his eyes. "It's weird, isn't it? That we give each other plants to show we like each other?"

"You don't like flowers?" Alfred asked, intrigued.

"I like them just fine." Lovino pursed his lips in a frown. "But, I don't see why they're a token of love. A flower's just a plant, right? Sure it's pretty, but it doesn't last very long. So what's so great about that?"

"Huh. That's a good question. I never really thought about it." Alfred said, pondering it. "What would you use instead?"

"I don't know." Lovino admitted. "There's lots of stuff you can use. Feathers are nice."

"A bouquet of feathers?" Alfred smiled, entertained by the thought. "Interesting." He paused, adding thoughtfully, "It'd kind of look like a featherduster."

Lovino's mouth curved up in amusement. "Yeah, it would."

"Flowers smell nice, though." Alfred mused, digging the heel of his palm into the muscles of Lovino's lower back, making him sigh and flex his fingers involuntarily, melting further. "Maybe it's like moments." He said eventually, sounding thoughtful.

"Hm?" Lovino asked, his mind already on other things.

"When you like someone," Alfred said slowly, like he was searching for words to explain as he went, "each moment you spend with them is bright and sweet and beautiful, and then it passes before you know it, like a flower does. So, maybe we give people flowers to say 'Hey, the time I spend with you is as beautiful and sweet to me as these flowers'."

"That's the sappiest thing I've ever heard." Lovino decided a little dryly, after a few moments had passed. "You're a romantic, aren't you."

"Maybe." Alfred admitted, grinning unrepentantly. "Is that bad?"

"...No." Lovino lifted his head, resting his chin on his arms, opening his eyes to look at the empty shop, suddenly a little melancholy. "That seems a little sad, though, don't you think? Once a moment's gone, you can't get it back."

"No, but you have the memory." Alfred assured him. "You can keep that forever. And that's what relationships are built on, right? Moments and memories that you make together and treasure up in your heart, kind of like flowers in a garden. And all the time we're making more, right? Everyday, every moment, whenever we're together."

"...I guess." Lovino agreed, feeling a little better for no damn reason at all. He closed his eyes again, and sighed. "You really are a romantic, aren't you, bastard?"

"I guess I am." Alfred chuckled.

"Idiot."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Young men in love. *facepalm* <em>_I'm finding that I have a hard time with super-sappy. I'm just not a sappy person by nature. Sometimes Al just wants to get syrupy and my brain freezes up and I just can't process it. There's only so much I can handle! _

_These guys are totally building my tolerance, though. Slowly but surely._


	7. Ristretto

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

* * *

><p>"It's a pretty nice night." Alfred tilted his head back to look at the sky as he stood with Lovino outside the Copa de Amor, who was locking the doors for the night.<p>

"Yeah, it's not bad." Lovino agreed, glancing around as he tugged on the door handles to make sure they were securely closed. It _was_ a nice night. Warm for a February, and still, and peaceful. The sun had long since set, and the stars were out, although the moon hadn't yet risen.

"Seems like a shame to go home." Alfred mused, sliding his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "Wanna take a walk through the park with me, instead?"

"Hm?" Lovino paused. A walk in the park? Well, it was late...but Alfred was right, it was a nice night, and it seemed like a waste to miss it. And it wasn't like he had anything else to do, except go home and eat dinner alone with his cat again. He shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Cool." Alfred grinned, inclining his head towards the park. "C'mon, if we hurry we can probably get some ice cream."

"Ice cream? In the park?" Lovino said dubiously, falling in step next to him. "What _kind_ of ice cream?"

"The _ice cream _kind." Alfred grinned, turning around and walking backward to talk to him face-to-face. "Good stuff. Hand-cranked. I know a guy who makes his own and vends it in the park. He'll be heading out now, but if we catch him before he leaves he'll probably let us have some for free."

Lovino snorted in amusement. "You mooch."

"Yep." Alfred agreed proudly, turning back around to walk normally again. "Actually, I fix his cart for him when it has issues, so it's more of a service exchange kinda deal."

"He lets _you_ fix his cart?" Lovino asked, quirking a brow incredulously. "You're not exactly instilling me with confidence in the quality of this ice cream, bastard."

Alfred pff't dismissively. "I don't make it, I just tighten screws and tweak the cooling unit." He swatted Lovino's shoulder with the back of his hand, grinning. "Don't worry, it's good stuff. Trust me, you're gonna love it."

Ten minutes later, Lovino had to admit he was right. Or he would have, if rich, bittersweet chocolate cream wasn't melting on his tongue, sending him into transports of gustatorial ecstacy.

"I think I'm in love." He moaned, treating himself to another lick of rich chocolately goodness. "It's like my tastebuds died and went to heaven."

"Told you." Alfred said smugly, savouring his own. "It's good stuff."

"'_Good'_ doesn't cover it, bastard." Lovino corrected emphatically. "This is _great_. This is _better_ than great. This is, this is," he gestured with his free hand, searching for words to express the transports of pleasure the ice cream engendered on his tongue.

"'Orgasmic'?" Alfred offered, brows climbing as he watched Lovino's reactions.

"_Yes_." Lovino took another bite, and moaned again.

"Alright, now I _gotta_ try that chocolate." Alfred decided, grasping Lovino's wrist and leaning over to help himself to a bite of his cone. Lovino squawked in protest at the violation of his dessert.

"This is _mine_, bastard! You've got your own!" He glared accusingly as he yanked it back and held it close, twisting away to shield it from any further poaching.

"Sorry, sorry." Alfred chuckled, not seeming very sorry at all as he licked chocolate cream from his lips. "It was just that you were enjoying it so much, I had to see if it was as good as it looked. You can try mine if you like." He offered, holding out his cone.

"Hm, alright." Frowning, Lovino reached out to take it, only slightly mollified. "What kind is it?"

"Vanilla buttercream." Alfred informed him, sliding his hands into his pockets. Lovino sniffed it tentatively before taking a bite.

"_Nnngh." _He moaned, eyes sliding shut. "_Nnngh. _This is _amazing_."

"Glad you like it." Alfred grinned, chuckling.

"I _love_ it." Lovino agreed, licking buttercream from his lips and taking another bite. "This is the best thing _ever_. Are _all_ the flavours this good?"

"There's only eight flavours, but they're all pretty good." Alfred confirmed, reaching for his cone. Lovino swallowed quickly, and took one last bite before reluctantly handing it back.

"Guess I know what to get you for your birthday." Alfred teased.

"Mm. Get me a quart of each. No, a gallon." Lovino directed, returning his attention to his chocolate. "No, make that two gallons. Four. "

"Hm." Alfred hummed, licking melting ice cream from his fingers. "How about one gallon, and I take you out every Thursday for a cone." He offered, smiling. "That way it'll always be fresh."

"Sounds good." Lovino agreed, absorbed in his cone. Alfred's smile widened.

"Cool."

"I love going through the park at night." Alfred remarked a little while later, looking up into the patchwork shadows of the leaves above them as they wandered between the trees, their ice cream long since finished. "Everything's so peaceful."

"Yeah, it is." Lovino agreed, feeling content in the afterglow of ice cream and the stillness of the night. In all honesty, he never would have considered going through the park on his own, especially this late, but for some reason it didn't worry him as much with Alfred here. "You do this alot?" He wondered, curious.

"Yeah, sometimes." Alfred admitted, reaching up to snag a leaf from a low-hanging branch as they passed. "Usually alone, though." He looked it over, and handed it to Lovino. "Aspen leaf. Kinda neat, huh? I like how round they are."

"Hm." Lovino absently rubbed the leaf between his fingertips, feeling the smooth, almost leathery texture of it. "Kind of looks like a silver dollar."

"Haha, yeah, it does. Y'know, I can't wait 'til fall." Alfred mused, glancing up at the leaves around them with a smile of anticipation. "The leaves've gotta be awesome."

"It's pretty nice." Lovino admitted, tucking the leaf into his pocket. "Feliciano always makes us have a picnic here in October. A lot of red and gold."

"I'll bet." Alfred hummed appreciatively. "Must be nice."

"You should come." Lovino offered. "To the picnic." He clarified, when Alfred glanced at him questioningly. "Next time we have it. You should come."

"You sure?" Alfred asked, a little surprised by the invitation. "I won't be intruding on any family stuff?"

"Nah. Feliciano'll be happy to have someone else to cook for. And anyway, he always brings his bastard friend along. Well, I guess Ludwig's his boyfriend now," he amended, "and Antonio usually invites Gilbert and Francis, and Kirkland generally drops by to pick a fight. Although I guess now that they're boyfriends he'll be invited, too. So you might as well come. It'll be nice to have someone I can stand around for once."

"You don't usually bring anyone?" Alfred asked curiously.

"No." Lovino lifted a shoulder.

"Hm." Alfred said, smiling broadly.

"So, what, you just wander through the park all night? Don't you ever sleep?" Lovino asked curiously, changing the subject.

"That's what caffeine's for." Alfred grinned, and Lovino snorted. "Seriously though," he continued, nudging a rock with his foot as they passed, "there's just as many hours in the night as there are in the day, roughly. Can't sleep through all of it."

"Speak for yourself, bastard."

"Oh? You need a lot of sleep?"

"I don't know about 'need.'" Lovino answered, frowning in thought. "I sleep a lot, I guess."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Not much else to do." Lovino shrugged. "Just work and sleep, and try and keep my idiot brother and cousin out of trouble."

"You don't hang out with anyone else aside from your brother and cousin?" Alfred wondered.

"Not really." Lovino admitted unconcernedly. "People don't like me much." Alfred hummed noncommittally.

"Well, I like you. I like you a lot." He said casually, sliding his hands into his pockets and not looking at Lovino, opting instead to watch the path ahead.

Lovino frowned, suddenly remembering that the man next to him had been _actively avoiding_ him for the last several weeks for _no damn reason_, not that he was upset about that or anything. If Alfred supposedly liked him so much, then why would he avoid him? People didn't usually avoid people they liked, especially without telling them why. Scowling, he opened his mouth to ask the bastard about it, but then Alfred turned to him and _smiled,_ distracting him.

"...What?" He asked, a little unnerved.

"Nothing." Alfred shrugged, still smiling.

"Wierdo." Lovino muttered, feeling his face and chest growing hot.

Alfred's smile widened. "Do you like roses?"

"They're alright, I guess." Lovino admitted. "Why?"

"C'mon." Alfred inclined his head in a gesture for Lovino to follow, and headed off through the trees towards another section of the park. "There's something I'd like to show you."

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><p><em>AN: Is anyone else craving ice cream? And d<em>_on't worry, his cat's already eaten dinner, and is curled up on his pillow sleeping peacefully, dreaming about smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes. When he gets home it will nevertheless pretend that it is starving and expect to share his dinner and demand extra petting to make up for his lateness, though, as cats do._


	8. Cafe Medici

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

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><p>Alfred led him to a darkened building in a far corner of the park which Lovino couldn't remember having seen before (not that he spent much time at the park, aside from Feliciano's picnics. It wasn't that he didn't like it, but it wasn't like he had anyone to go with, and it seemed kind of pathetic and pointless to wander the park by himself).<p>

"Are you sure we should be doing this, bastard?" Lovino asked dubiously, a little worried as he followed Alfred into the dark structure.

"Yeah, it's okay, I have permission." Alfred assured him, ushering Lovino in and closing the door behind them. He flicked a switch on the wall near the door, and the sudden flood of light temporarily blinded Lovino. "So? Whatt'ya think?"

Once his vision cleared, Lovino saw roses. The place was filled with them, on tables, the floor, climbing the walls on trellises, hanging in baskets from the ceiling; roses of every size and colour imaginable, everywhere he looked.

"One of the ladies that helps out here told me this would be a good place to take a date." Alfred commented idly, glancing around, and looked to Lovino, sliding his hands into his pocket as he waited a little anxiously for his reaction.

"Mm, she's right." Lovino nodded thoughtfully, eyes roving the plethora of roses. The whole place smelled like roses and earth, sweet but not overpowering; and the array of colors and soft blooms combined with the way the flowers were arranged was very pleasing to the eye. Overall it was warm and relaxing and intimate, and he could definitely see it being a romantic setting for a date. He'd have to remember this place, not that _he_ had anyone to come here with, or much chance of meeting anybody at the Copa de Amor. But still, maybe someday. You never knew, right?

"Cool." Alfred beamed, shoulders relaxing. He smiled, jerking his head towards the roses. "Would you like some?"

"Hm?" Romano glanced at Alfred, brows raised in surprise, before turning his gaze back to the flowers. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" Alfred grinned, rummaging through a box near the door and pulling out a pair of pruning shears. "Do you have a favourite colour?"

"Not really." Lovino shrugged indifferently. "Roses are roses, right?"

"It's true a rose is a rose no matter what the colour," Alfred allowed, moving through the roses, "but, did you know roses have a language, too? People used to use them to say things to each other. Send each other messages, and tell each other stuff."

"Yeah?" Lovino followed him, interest peaked. "Like what?"

"All kinds of things, mostly depending on the color. Each color means something different. For example," Alfred paused before a bush full of bright red roses, and reached up to touch one. "Red roses mean love, of course, but _dark_ red ones," he stepped to the next bush full dark, velvety red blooms, clipping one off and handing it to Lovino, "indicate a love interested in a commitment."

"Yeah?" Lovino interestedly at the rose he held. He'd known red roses meant love, everyone knew that, but he hadn't known they could say more than that. That was kind of interesting to know.

"Uhuh! So you give them to someone if, y'know, you're not just interested in a fling. Like, when you're really serious about them." Alfred reiterated a little insistently, watching Lovino carefully. "Long-term." He added after a moment. "Possibly forever."

"Mm." Lovino watched the rose spin as he twisted the stem gently between his fingers, nodding to indicate his understanding of the meaning of its color. He wasn't sure why Alfred felt the need to explain it so thoroughly. Did he think he didn't get it or something? "So, like if you're interested in courting and maybe marrying them."

"Yeah, that's right." Alfred confirmed, nodding. "That's what it means." His gaze flickered between Lovino and the rose for a moment, and one side of his mouth quirked up. "Assuming they get what you're trying to say."

"Ha." Lovino's mouth quirked up, too, remembering Antonio's obliviousness in the shop. "That could be a problem." He agreed, amused. "You could always explain it to them when you gave them the flowers."

"Haha, I know, you'd think that'd work, right?" Alfred laughed, then sighed a little, ruffling his hair. "Sometimes it's not that easy."

"That's true." Lovino shook his head, thinking of Arthur's trouble getting through to his cousin. "But if you're serious, you keep at it. They'll get it eventually if you keep trying."

"I've never been the giving up type." Alfred grinned at him, turning to continue his explanation-slash-flower gathering. He nodded at a bush across the aisle. "Now, lavender roses mean love at first sight, and pink or peach ones," he gestured to a collection of pink blooms a little ways away, "express gratitude. White roses," he added, walking to a bush full of soft white roses a few feet further on, "are for purity, but also steadfastness and loyalty." He clipped one, smelling it before handing it to Lovino. "And if you give it to someone you're in love with, it's a way to say 'I'm worthy of you'." He cast a shy smile at Lovino, amending, "Or, I'll try to be, anyway." Lovino nodded absently, smelling the rose; and Alfred bit back a sigh, watching him with an expression of almost resigned affection for a moment, before clearing his throat and moving on.

"Yellow roses are my favourite." Alfred stopped at a bush full of sunshine-bright flowers, and cupped one, smiling fondly, "They used to indicate jealousy, but then they became a symbol of friendship. Back in Texas, though, they stand for freedom, or love- which is basically the same thing in Texas," he grinned a little roguishly, winking sidelong at Lovino, who blushed slightly and snorted.

"But," Alfred stepped to the next bush over, clipping the stem of a rich yellow rose whose petals blushed crimson at the tips, passing that to Lovino as well, "a yellow rose with a red flush to the petals shows friendship growing into love." He turned and stepped across the aisle, clipping another rose with red tips- this time a creamy white one, which he regarded thoughtfully. "Red and white together usually stands for unity, but there's a poem by this guy named John Boyle O'Reilly about the meaning of a white rose with red tips that I like better." He closed his eyes, and pressed the rose briefly to his lips before handing it to Lovino. "'I give you a cream-white rosebud, with a flush on its petal tips; for the love that is purest and sweetest, has a kiss of desire on the lips.'"

"And, coral or orange roses," he continued abruptly, turning and heading down the the aisle to stand before several bushes bearing roses in various shades of those colours, "speak of passion, admiration," he selected a vibrant coral rose, clipping it and holding it out to Lovino, his gaze sliding to the side as he continued, cheeks flushing slightly, "and desire."

Lovino took it, examining it interestedly before adding it to the others he held. "So, basically, if you gave all these roses to someone you'd be telling them that you've fallen in love with them and want a serious relationship. Right bastard?"

"Yep." Alfred affirmed, leading the way back out of the greenhouse, switching off the light and closing the door behind them as they exited, muttering under his breath, "Though it might not get through."

"That's ...actually kind of cool." Lovino pursed his lips and stared down at the flowers he held, a little impressed. "I'll have to remember that." He was so absorbed in his flowers that he didn't notice when Alfred stopped suddenly, and ended up running into him. Before he could complain Alfred reached out a hand to steady him and pointed through the trees, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Hey, look! There's a carriage going through the park! With a horse!" Alfred seized Lovino's free hand and made a run for it, waving excitedly at the carriage as he went. "I always wanted to ride in one of those with someone! Hey, mister! HEY!"

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><p><em>AN: That Antonio. So oblivious. *shakes head*<em>


	9. Bicerìn

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_Man, I was hoping to use this posting buffer to work on my other stories, but I have been using it to be sick instead. Maybe when I come out of cold-induced hybernation I'll have a superhuman rush of creative energy! It's my only hope._

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><p>Alfred succeeded in flagging down the carriage, and the driver was happy to let them ride, much to Lovino's surprise.<p>

"You boys are lucky; this was my last run through the park," The driver told them cheerfully as they climbed aboard. "Me'n Strawberry were just about to call it a night an' head on home."

"Her name is Strawberry?" Alfred smiled, leaning against the driver's seat to wave at the mare. "Hi Strawberry! Thanks for givin' us a ride!" The horse turned its head and stomped a hoof, giving him a funny look before facing forward again. Alfred laughed, settling back next to Lovino, and the driver chuckled, clicking and twitching the reins, and their ride began.

"This is so cool!" Alfred enthused, looking around interestedly at everything as they passed. "How come I've never seen you guys in the park before?"

"We don't usually come down this way except by appointment," the driver explained, "but on holidays we drive 'round the park from four in the afternoon on 'til about ten or so, pickin' people up as they come. Good business on holidays. Today and Christmas Eve, especially, 'though New Year's isn't bad either." He held both reins in one hand for a moment while he dug into his jacket, pulling out a card, which he handed back to Alfred. "Here's my card. If you ever want to hire us out for a special occasion, just give us a call and we'll be there with bells on. Won't we, Strawberry." The horse whickered, twitching its ears. "We're especially popular for anniversaries." The driver added, giving them a wink.

"Awesome. Thanks, I'll remember that." Alfred laughed, tucking the card into his pocket, and turned to grin at Lovino, nudging his shoulder with his and sliding his arm over the back of Lovino's seat. "Whattya think? Do you like it? Think you might wanna do it again sometime?" He asked eagerly.

"Yeah, maybe." Lovino agreed, feeling a little like he'd stepped into a storybook, and not entirely disliking the experience. The soft leather seat was surprisingly comfortable, the movement of the carriage smoother than he'd have expected, and the rhythmic clip-clop of the horse's hooves on the pavement was strangely soothing. The stars were shimmering brightly in the velvet darkness overhead, and the carriage woodwork gleamed richly under the warm light of the lamp posts which lined the pathway as drove on; and though the night air was rapidly turning cool Alfred was close and radiating heat and warmth and enthusiasm in a very reassuring way, and he could smell roses and horse and leather and Alfred, and really the whole thing was almost a little magical, like something out of a fairytale.

"Isn't this amazing?" Alfred murmured, eyes shining as he drank it all in.

"It's something else." Lovino admitted, because it was.

Alfred glanced at him and smiled. "I'm glad I get to share it with you, Lovino."

Lovino stared at him for a moment, blushing, and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed and happy at the same time. He turned his gaze to the sky, trying to diffuse his embarrassment. A shooting star streaked across the sky just as he looked up, and Lovino wondered briefly if he should make a wish; but he couldn't think of anything to wish for, so he dismissed the thought.

For the next half hour they rode through the park and along the river, which shone silver under the light of the rising moon, and sparkled under the stars. They were mostly silent, content to enjoy the experience and each other's company. Finally they approached the large stone bridge which arced the river, a scenic landmark connecting one half of the town to the other, and Alfred requested that the driver stop there so they could get off.

"You boys sure?" The driver inquired as Alfred paid him for the ride and helped Lovino down from the carriage. "I don't mind taking you a bit farther. The public transit's just up ahead, can always catch the bus or a cab there."

"Nah, thanks. This is good." Alfred assured, flashing him a smile. "The view from up here is awesome for watching the moon rise. Besides, my friend lives pretty close to here. Right, Lovino?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Lovino agreed a little distractedly, his attention on the horse which was now nuzzling his shoulder. "Why's it doing that?"

"She likes you!" Alfred laughed, coming over to fondle the mare's ears, petting her neck and nose. "Don't'cha, sweetheart?" The horse whickered, nuzzling his chest, and Lovino suddenly felt irritated, though he wasn't sure why. His irritation only grew when Alfred chuckled fondly, pressing his forehead to hers and stroking her face. "Yes you do! You're just the sweetest thing, aren't you. Yes you are!"

Lovino's eyes narrowed. "Are you going to play with that horse all night?" He demanded, a little testily.

"What? Nah, I'm just sayin' goodbye." Alfred responded offhandedly, his attention focused on the horse. Lovino scowled. Stupid horse.

"Don't you worry," the carriage driver assured him, chuckling, his eyes twinking with amusement. "Strawberry's herself got a boyfriend back at the stable. Nice young Belgian by the name of Beauregard, who pulls carriages on the other side of the city." He winked, grinning. "She's just a bit of a flirt."

"Wh, why would I worry about something like that, bastard." Lovino blustered, folding his arms, feeling embarrassed and a little confused, especially since he actually felt a little better for some reason, which made no sense at all. He didn't even know what was irritating him in the first place, other than the fact that Alfred was spending an awful lot of time with that horse, not that he cared. The driver only laughed, turning back to the horse and Alfred.

"Alright, the two of us've gotta be gettin' on." He announced, interrupting their fun. "Why don't you say goodnight to the nice boys, Strawberry, so we can go home and get our dinner."

"Aww, okay. Bye, Strawberry," Alfred patted the horse one last time and stepped back next to Lovino, waving as the carriage clattered away. "Goodnight! Nice to meet you guys! Thanks for the ride!" He looked down, smiling as he brushed horsehair from the front of his hoodie. "Wasn't she cute?"

Lovino frowned at the stone under his feet. "It was just a stupid horse."

Alfred glanced at him, curious. "You don't like horses?" He asked, gesturing to a nearby bench overlooking the river to indicate that they should sit down.

"I just don't see why you had to pet it so much." Lovino scowled, pursing his lips in irritation as he settled onto the bench. "It's just a stupid horse. It's not like it's a cat or something."

"Horses like to be petted, too." Alfred smiled, leaning against the back of the bench and letting his head fall back to stare up into the sky. "Everything likes to be pet sometimes."

"I don't." Lovino asserted, fiddling with the roses in his lap.

"Sure you do." Alfred looked at him sidelong, the corner of his mouth curving up. "I petted you earlier, remember? When I gave you a backrub? You didn't mind that, right? That counts as petting."

"So, what, you just go around petting everybody you meet?" Lovino scowled, upset by the thought, and upset that he didn't know why he was upset. What did _he_ care whether or not Alfred went around _touching_ everyone? Alfred could do whatever he wanted, it wasn't like...like...like it _mattered, _except that he felt like it did, for some reason.

"Well, no," Alfred admitted easily, and the tight feeling in Lovino's chest loosened slightly, "I mean, I pet animals all the time, but that's different. With people there are _levels_, don't you think?" Lifting his head to look at Lovino, he explained earnestly, "I mean, shaking someone's hand is a lot different than say, hugging them or giving them a massage. I'll shake anyone's hand, and I'll hug a lot of people, but there's only one person I'll give back rubs to." He grinned a little shyly, nudging Lovino's knee with his.

"...Yeah?" Lovino asked, something warm and light blooming in his chest.

Alfred smiled, eyes warm. "Yeah."

"Oh." Cheeks and ears growing hot, Lovino looked back down at his roses, rubbing a petal between his fingertips. "W-well, that's okay then." He pursed his lips, brows furrowing as he muttered, "...M-my feet hurt."

Alfred shifted to face him and patted his lap, smiling encouragingly when Lovino glanced at him in hesitation. Scooting backwards so he could lift his feet into Alfred's lap, Lovino waited a little nervously as Alfred removed his shoes, feeling a little anxious and unsure why he wanted Alfred's touch when normally he didn't like _anyone_ to touch him (aside from Feliciano and Antonio; but neither of them ever understood when it was too much touch, or knew how to back off when he told them to, but Alfred's touch was safe and warm and part of him _craved_ it). All apprehension melted away when Alfred's warm hands closed around his sock-clad foot, kneading and stroking his sole with his thumbs, and _oh_ that felt _so_ good. He hadn't been lying, his feet _were_ sore, from standing all day on the hard floor of the Copa de Amor, and the unaccustomed exersize of walking through the park, and this was _bliss_, his foot had gone to _heaven. _He melted against the bench with a sigh, all strange feelings forgotten, drowned in a flood of contentment and pleasure. He heard Alfred chuckle.

"Seriously dude. I'll say it again: if you were a cat, you'd be purring."

Lovino nudged Alfred's stomach with his other foot, too blissed-out to respond verbally. Alfred squeezed his toes in retaliation, and Lovino bit his lip, head falling back as he groaned in pleasure. "Holy _shit_, bastard." He moaned, closing his eyes. "I think I'm in love with your hands." The hands on his foot stilled for a moment, before resuming their ministrations.

"Well," Alfred's voice sounded amused, and a little wry. "It's a start."

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><p><em>AN: Alfred's going to win him over from the feet up, if he has to. <em>


	10. Baltimore

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

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><p>"...Seriously?" Alfred looked down at the man curled up against his side, arching an eyebrow incredulously. (They'd been sitting and talking on the bench for a couple of hours now, and the night had gotten pretty chilly, so after his footrub Lovino had curled up against the taller blond for warmth. Alfred had generously assisted in keeping him warm by wrapping an arm around him, and Lovino had to admit that it was pretty effective. And comfortable. The night air was cold but Alfred radiated heat, and the arm around him and the blond's solid warmth made him feel safe and protected— not that he <em>needed<em> protecting, of course, but still, it was nice to feel like he could let his guard down without having to worry about it— and his feet and toes still tingled with pleasure in the wake of Alfred's attentions; all cumulating in leaving him relaxed and unusually contented as he caught Alfred up on the events of his day.) "He thought he wanted him to _hold_ them?"

"I know, right?" Lovino gestured with his own flowers in exasperation at his cousin's denseness. "What kind of idiot thinks someone gives them flowers to _hold? _The guy gets flowers and chocolates and he _still_ can't catch a damn clue."

"Poor Arthur." Alfred shook his head, chuckling sympathetically.

"I _know._ I don't even _like_ the guy and I felt sorry for him."

Alfred's eyes flickered to the roses. "You sure he wasn't, y'know, playing dumb so he wouldn't hurt Arthur's feelings? " He suggested, brows furrowing thoughtfully. "Maybe he just wasn't interested."

"No," Lovino snorted dismissively, crossing his arms. "He's been in love with Kirkland _forever. _He's just an idiot. Once he figured it out, they practically mauled each other on the counter."

"Hah, that's right, you mentioned that." Alfred grinned, teasing, "Some guys have all the luck."

"I don't know about 'luck'," Lovino countered. "I mean, they've been pining after each other for ten years." Alfred hmm'd, wincing a little in furthur sympathy. "Besides, if Antonio didn't like someone, he'd tell them straight up." Lovino continued, shifting to lean his head against Alfred's shoulder, toying absently with his roses. "He's not a subtle kind of guy."

"What about you?" Alfred inquired casually, gazing nonchalantly at the moon which was now almost overhead. "What if someone _you_ weren't interested in gave you flowers and told you they liked you and stuff?"

"I wouldn't mess around, that's for sure." Lovino stated, gesturing emphatically. "I'd tell them straight up if I was interested or not. No point in pussyfooting around. They deserve to know."

Alfred huffed a little laugh, one corner of his mouth twitching up. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're usually pretty on the level."

"Damn right." Lovino agreed, and yawned.

"You tired?" Alfred asked concernedly, noticing this.

"A little." Lovino confessed, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand, and yawned again. "I've been up since five this morning. Had to make sure the Copa was ready for the Valentine rush, and Felicano and Antonio can't stay on task for shit." He sighed, sitting up. "I should probably go home. I work tomorrow."

"Oh?" Alfred straightened as well, helping him up. "Early or late?"

"Second shift." Lovino said, brushing nonexistent dust from his pants. "I'm not looking forward to that, dammit. Today was enough."

"I can switch with you if you want." Alfred offered, standing and sliding his hands into his pockets. "I work the day after tomorrow, second shift too. We could trade shifts? That way you can get some rest tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Lovino's brows furrowed as he considered it. He rubbed his eyes again tiredly, nodding. "Yeah, okay. Sounds good."

"Cool." Alfred tilted his head in the direction of Lovino's apartment. "C'mon, I'll walk you home."

Falling into step next to him, Lovino found himself staring down at his flowers, thinking of Antonio. He loved his cousin, but _damn_ the man could be dense sometimes. Lucky for Arthur _he'd_ been there, or Antonio _never_ would have gotten it. And Feliciano could be just as dense, really. It'd been obvious to anyone with eyes that Ludwig had been trying to work up the nerve to confess for a while now. Why was he the only one in the family with a damn clue? He shook his head, huffing a little in disbelief.

His roses were almost monochrome in the darkness, shades of tinted gray more than anything else, but he could still make out their colour. He brushed his thumb across the velvet petals of the red one. Love interested in commitment, huh? Who knew you could say that kind of thing with flowers. He wondered if red carnations meant anything, remembering the flowers Arthur Kirkland had gotten Antonio. It probably didn't matter, anyway. Red carnations were Antonio's favourite flower, and really Kirkland could have gotten him a _cabbage_ and Antonio would have thought it was romantic, if Arthur ever got it through his thick head that it was a gesture of love.

He drew his finger across the yellow-and-red rose, which he was starting to decide it was his favourite. The warm flush of vibrant red at the tips counterbalanced and complemented the rich sunshine yellow of the rose, adding depth and strength to its cheerfulness and keeping it from being bright to the point of obnoxiousness. Altogether the effect was warm and sweet and a little endearing, and caused his to heart warm and made him feel a little like smiling.

In a way it reminded him of Alfred.

He buried his nose in the petals, inhaling absently. Friendship turning to love, hm? Feliciano and Antonio were going to be thrilled to hear that you could tell people things like that through flowers. They'd probably run and look up the meanings of all the colours as soon as he told them about it, and talk about it for _weeks_ afterward. Romantic confessions of true love wrapped up in flowers? It was the sort of thing they adored. He wouldn't be surprised if they designed a new Copa de Amor special around the idea.

He snorted, remembering the conversation he'd had earlier with Antonio.

Alfred glanced at him curiously. "Something funny?"

"Antonio," Lovino huffed, lips twitching up as he confided, "He decided this morning that the Filtro de Amor was a 'love potion' that would bring your true love to you if you drank it." He grinned, shaking his head. "He kept insisting that if you drank a cup it'd make you lucky in love."

"Ha, maybe I should have had two cups, then." Alfred chuckled. "Oh, that reminds me," his brows furrowed thoughtfully, and he dug around in the pocket of his hoodie. After a moment he pulled out a chocolate kiss, holding it up and examining it. "Forgot I had that. I was able to finish the drink while we worked, but I didn't have time for the kiss." He shrugged, turning to offer it to Lovino. "Want it?"

"Yeah, sure." Lovino nodded, accepting the candy. He frowned at it for a moment, trying to figure out how to open it with only one hand. He could tuck the flowers under his arm, he supposed, but he didn't want to bruise them, or drop them by accident. Hm.

"Need some help?" Afred offered, grinning as he noticed his predicament. Lovino handed the kiss back, and Alfred unwrapped it, balling up the foil and sticking it in his pocket as he offered Lovino the denuded chocolate.

"Ha," Lovino huffed a laugh as he took it, and held it up, amused. "Look, I got flowers and chocolate too, just like Antonio." He grinned, popping the chocolate in his mouth.

"I guess that makes me your Arthur." Alfred teased, nudging Lovino's shoulder with his.

"Please, you're _nothing_ like Kirkland." Lovino snorted dismissively, rolling his eyes. "I can hardly stand that bastard. I actually like _you."_

"Aw, that makes me feel all warm inside." Alfred grinned, placing his hand over his heart. "I love you too, darlin'." He drawled sweetly, affecting a Southern accent, and winked.

For some reason Lovino felt his face heat up, and so he dropped his gaze to the ground and swatted Alfred's arm to cover his embarrassment. "Jerk," He muttered, something like fondness warming his chest, and felt his lips curve up when Alfred laughed.

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><p><em>AN: Next<em> _update may be delayed slightly. I'll do my best to get it up on time. _

_I kind of feel like I should defend Lovi here. He's not being dense on purpose! __Remember, although it's been a week for you, it's only been a few hours for Lovino. Not to mention he's been up and working since 5 AM. The store opens around 7AM and closes around 7:30PM, and he had to stay late to clean up afterwards, so he's worked over 15 hours today (__according to Himaruya, South Italy canonically has had a pretty kickass work ethic in the past— **until** centuries of troubles with the mafia sent him into depression and drained his willpower. I figure Human!Lovino, not having run into these issues— at least in this story, wouldn't have the same complex)__! He's a little exhausted, physically and mentally, which might contribute a little to his being...perhaps not as quick on the uptake as usual. Plus, sometimes it's harder to notice these things when you're the one involved. It's a matter of perspective! _


	11. Amor, Affogato Style

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

_So, um, lots of dialogue for you. Lots and lots of unbroken dialogue and introspection. And sap. You like sap, right? __(Man I hope so, 'cause sap and Romerica go hand-in-hand. They're sappy guys.)_

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><p>"So," Alfred smiled neutrally, as they stood together in front of Lovino's apartment, neither wanting to say goodbye. "I guess this is goodnight, huh?"<p>

"Yeah." Lovino agreed reluctantly, heart sinking at the thought. He was tired, and cold, and hungry, because while the ice cream had been delicious it'd hardly been a proper dinner, but... he wasn't ready for Alfred to leave. Besides, it felt like something between them was...unresolved. "I guess it is."

"I had fun tonight. With you." Alfred said, sliding his hands into his pockets. Lovino blushed and looked away, hands tightening around the stems of his roses, never minding that it made the thorns prick uncomfortably.

"M-me too." He could see Alfred's responding smile, warm and a little shy, in his peripheral vision, and Lovino's heart thudded, warmth blooming in his chest. The blond looked down as well, sliding his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and clearing his throat in an attempt to diffuse his pleasure and not grin like an idiot.

"I missed this." He blurted after a moment, stumbling a little over the words as Lovino looked up, "Spending time with you. Together. Th-the two of us. Talking. Hanging out. N-not that we ever hung out outside of work," he amended with an awkward, embarrassed smile, "but, y'know, still. I missed it."

"...Yeah?" The warm feeling in Lovino's chest spread, making his skin grow hot, and awakening butterflies to tickle his stomach with fluttering red and gold wings.

"Yeah." Alfred looked down, clearing his throat again to help get the words out, and even in the darkness Lovino could see his cheeks flush as he continued. "I, I missed _you_._"_

"I..." Lovino's throat seized up, and his eyes widened as his mind (and heart) started to race. _I missed you too,_ he'd been about to say. And it was true. He'd missed Alfred. He hadn't realised it 'til now. And suddenly all the things he'd been feeling tonight made sense. He'd _missed_ Alfred. But Alfred had left, abandoned him without even telling him why, avoiding him and not...not...being there. He'd just _left_.

And even though Lovino hadn't really realised he was being avoided until a few days ago, Alfred had still been out of his life for weeks now, and he'd missed him all that time, but, but up until a few days ago at least he'd thought he'd be seeing Alfred again sometime soon, and he'd been waiting, without even knowing it, just...the vague feeling that something was missing, and that when he saw Alfred it'd be okay. And then, when he'd come in for his shift earlier that week and yet again Alfred wasn't there to greet him with his noisy cheer and bright smile, and he'd realised that though he wanted to see Alfred, _Alfred_ didn't want to see _him_, because really, exchanging shifts four times sends a pretty clear message, and, and, and...that had hurt. A little. Because he didn't know what he'd done, or why Alfred didn't want to see him, and he _still_ wanted to see Alfred.

"Lovino? Is...something wrong?"

But Alfred had just _left,_ without explaining why, and that had made him angry, too, because he it wasn't as if he could confront him about it. He didn't have Alfred's number, or know where he lived, and though he hadn't thought of it 'til now he probably could have just come in and confronted him at work sometime, he'd have to get the schedule from Antonio to find out when Alfred was in; except he didn't have to now because Alfred was right here. The bastard had just waltzed right into the shop, and hadn't even tried to hide the fact that he'd been avoiding Lovino, and had gone and acted all weird before suddenly acting like _nothing was wrong _and distracting Lovino from his _perfectly reasonable_ anger by being all..._Alfred,_ and Lovino had been so relieved to have Alfred back that he had _let_ him. He'd behaved like some sort of _lovesick idiot_, letting the bastard distract him with all this, this whatever this had been, the backrubs and taking him out for ice cream and giving him roses and taking him on carriage rides and giving him an amazing footrub and...and...

...Wait. _Lovesick? _

...Wait.

"Alfred..." He blinked, looking down at his roses. _Friendship turning into love, love looking for commitment, loyalty, admiration, desire_... "...Was this a_ date?"_

Alfred dropped his gaze, biting his lip, and looked back up at Lovino, his expression anxious and hopeful and a little guarded, all at once. "...Would you like it to have been?" He asked cautiously, a little of the hope in his eyes colouring his tone.

"Maybe," Lovino admitted, equally cautiously. "Would _you?"_

Alfred gnawed his lip. "Yes." He confessed. "I would. I mean, if you'd like it to be. I really like you, Lovino. More than like you, um."

Lovino's eyes narrowed. "If you _like_ me so much," he challenged, folding his arms, "then why the hell have you been avoiding me for the last few weeks, huh bastard?"

Alfred looked surprised for a moment, then his expression turned sheepish. "You noticed that?"

"Of course I did!" Lovino scowled, grip tightening on his roses, skin flushing hot for an entirely different reason, now. "The last time I saw you was _three weeks and two and a half days ago_, jerk! And then you just...disappear!" He flailed a little, fighting back the tears of frustration and confusion pricking his eyes. "And then you have balls to come waltzing back in here out of _nowhere_, acting all nice and shit like _nothing happened_, like you didn't take off with _no_ warning or explanation, and expect me to believe you _like_ me! What the _hell_ are you playing at, bastard? How the hell am I supposed to decide whether or not I want to be _with_ you when I don't even know if you'll be here tomorrow?"

"Of course I'll be here!" Alfred protested earnestly. "And I do like you, Lovino, really! I wasn't avoiding you because I _wanted_ to, I was avoiding you because...b-because," he looked away, struggling with the words. "Because I fell in love with you." He admitted finally, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"...Is that supposed to make _sense_, bastard?" Lovino demanded roughly, struggling to remain unaffected by his confession as his traitorous heart went haywire. "What kind of reason is that!"

"Well at the time it was a good one." Alfred muttered wryly, pulling of his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I thought you— well." He exhaled, sliding them back on and ruffling his hair. "I suppose I should start from the beginning."

"That might be a good idea." Lovino agreed dryly, swiping at his eyes with his sleeve cuff.

"Alright." Alfred straightened, determined. "Okay. I've liked you for a long time. Pretty much since we first met."

"When you started at the Copa de Amor?" Lovino frowned, thinking back.

"No, before that." Alfred dismissed. "The day I moved here, I decided to go out for coffee after I finished unpacking, and ended up in the Copa de Amor. While I was waiting in line, the guy ahead of me started being a total jerk, yelling at your brother and making him cry; and I was going to step in, but before I could do anything you jumped in and cussed him out, dumped his coffee down his pants and kicked him out of the shop, and, well, I thought that was pretty awesome. So when I got to the counter I picked up an application instead of coffee, and Antonio interviewed me, and a couple days later I was working there.

"Then you turned out to have a boyfriend, er, at least I thought you did. I was disappointed, but I figured hey, it's just a crush, it'll go away eventually, and we can just be friends, right?" He lifted one side of his mouth in a brief smile, shrugging a shoulder, and sighed. "But, the more I worked with you, the more I liked you. And then it wasn't a crush anymore, because I'd fallen in love with you. And I thought I could deal with that at first. I was in love with you, okay, fine. You had a boyfriend, and I wasn't going to do anything to mess that up. But...it got harder and harder to be around you and not tell you how I felt.

"And then one day a few weeks ago we were working together and I looked over at you, and you were standing there making a latte. Just standing there holding the cup, pouring coffee into it, and you had that little frown you get before you start to froth the milk when you're planning on drawing in it— where your eyebrows kind of pull together and your mouth purses just a little bit and turns down at the corners, and all I could think of at that moment was waking up next to you for the rest of my life, and before I knew it I was saying, 'I love you'. I couldn't help it, it just... slipped out.

"And for a second I was terrified, cause I thought I'd ruined _everything_, but you didn't hear me over the machine. But, after that I realised I couldn't be around you anymore, because I wasn't going to be able to keep it in if I was. But I didn't want to make you feel bad, 'cause it wasn't your fault, and I didn't ask not to be scheduled with you anymore because I didn't want anyone to think it was anything you did, so I just...changed my availability, and when we were scheduled together, I switched shifts with other employees. I honestly didn't think you'd notice."

"Yeah, well, I did. You suck at being subtle, bastard. And if you didn't want to be around me, why didn't you just quit?"

"It's a good job. I like working at the Copa." Alfred shifted, embarrassed. "And...even if we weren't working together...I was working in the same place as you. Your apron was there, and your nametag, and your handwriting was on the board, and I was using the same machines you used..." he covered his face with a hand, exhaling. "And...well, I could see you everywhere I looked. And it was something, you know? I just wanted to be where you were, even if I couldn't be with you." He dropped his hand from his face, smiling weakly. "Pretty pathetic, huh? Man, I sound like a stalker."

Lovino shifted too, thinking of all the times in the last few weeks his own eyes had wandered to Alfred's stupid apron where it hung on the hook, or how sometimes when his mind wandered he'd find himself staring at the register, remembering how Alfred sprawled on the counter and doodled on the napkins when things were slow, and how he _always_ put every fifth bill in the register the wrong way 'round so he could keep track when he was counting down the drawer, and other things like that. Or he'd be making a latte or something and would find himself thinking of the way Alfred's golden hair would fall to frame his eyes whenever he was at the machine making the drinks, and how his tongue would stick out and curl around his upper lip in concentration when he was trying to get the milk to foam properly (something Alfred sucked at); or the way Alfred would look sidelong at him, blue eyes sparkling behind his lenses, one side of his mouth pulling up, just before he was about to be a complete _smartass_ and initiate a bout of bantering that would usually escalate into the two of them chasing each other around the counter or a tussle in the backroom, if things were slow. And Lovino thought of how all the signs of Alfred around the shop had made him both more and less lonely at the same time; until the day he realised Alfred was avoiding him. After that, they... kind of hurt, too. He'd felt a little... lost.

Judging by the way Alfred looked now; hunched in on himself, his expression lost and deeply embarrassed and a little miserable, blue eyes dark and clouded as he avoided Lovino's gaze, he'd felt the same way.

Huffing, Lovino reached out and grabbed Alfred by the collar. "Alright." He decided, as he manhandled the surprised blond backwards off the single step and onto the pavement so they were eye-to-eye (almost— with the aid of the doorstep he was a little bit taller, a rarity which he privately relished). "This can have been a date. _But!" _He added sternly, ignoring the way his face heated and heart sped up as Alfred lit up like a sunrise, his smile blinding, "I'm still mad at you for being an idiot, idiot. S-so, you have to promise you won't ever do something stupid like that again. That you won't, won't leave without telling me."

"Lovino, if you want me, wild horses couldn't tear me away from you." Alfred promised fervently, sliding his hand over Lovino's on his collar and squeezing it reassuringly. "I promise."

"Good." Lovino nodded, pulling him in for a kiss. "And next time you ask me out," he added, panting, once they surfaced for air, "do it _properly_, dammit."

"Alright," Alfred chuckled breathlessly, grinning giddily as he slid his arms around Lovino's waist and leaned up for another kiss. "What are you doing for the rest of your life?"

"_Idiot."_ Lovino's own smile was a little giddy as their lips met and his arms wound themselves around Alfred's neck. "You're coming to dinner tomorrow after work," he informed him between kisses, "and right now," he added, pulling back and grabbing Alfred's collar again, hauling him back up the step with one hand and unlocking his front door and throwing it open with the other (which Alfred found impressive, seeing as how Lovino was still holding the flowers in that hand), "you're going to come inside with me, and you're going to sleep next to me, dammit, so I can be sure you're not going to disappear on me by morning. Got it?" He pulled him down for another kiss for emphasis. Alfred chuckled again, slipping a hand behind Lovino's head and deepening the kiss, lingering until both of them were a little breathless and dizzy.

"So I guess this means you like me, too?" Alfred grinned, once he was able to speak again. Lovino flushed deeply, eyes sliding to the side.

"W-well, the Filtro de Amor brings your true love to you, right?" He blustered, feeling the flush spreading to his ears and down his neck, "S, so, I guess I have no choice, dammit."

"I don't know, Lovi. I mean, it's good, but it's only coffee." Alfred teased, lips twitching into a knowing smile as he regarded Lovino's reactions with fond amusement. "And I fell in love with you long before I drank it."

"Ch-chigi!" Lovino flailed a little, face positively flaming now, but stopped when he realised he was shaking his roses. "Bastard! _Fine!_ I l-liked you too! _There!_ Happy?"

"Before you drank it?" Alfred pressed, grinning like the idiot Lovino pretended to believe him to be.

"Yes, before I drank it! Now stop being a jerk and come inside, idiot!" Lovino ordered. Alfred laughed, deciding to have mercy on his new boyfriend before he combusted, and caught Lovino up into his arms, carrying him across the threshold.

"I hope you know I'm going to marry you, Lovi." He informed Lovino as he kicked the door shut behind them, smiling giddily. "I love you."

"I know." Lovino smirked despite his blush, gesturing with his roses, "I got your message, bastard. A-and," he added, sliding his other hand behind Alfred's head and pulling him down for another kiss, murmuring, "I, I love you too, Alfred."

Alfred _beamed_. "_Finally."_

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><p><em>AN: They are not going to have sex, but they <strong>are<strong> going to enjoy a pretty intense make-out/cuddle session for the next several hours, so it's a good thing for Alfred that he doesn't have to work until afternoon, and for Lovino that he doesn't work at all (courtesy Alfred), and can catch up on his sleep. _

_And if you're lucky I'll turn this into a holiday series. Oh! And if you haven't checked it out yet and are in the mood for some awesome Romerica goodness, go check out '_pomme d'amour' _by **dualce**. You won't regret it. _

_(For those of you who worry about such things, the roses will go into water, and yes the cat will be fed again. Actually, Alfred will fall for his starvation act, and (over)feed him while Lovino looks for a vase and puts the flowers in water. The kitty will probably get a little chubby. But that's okay, chubby kitties are cute.) _


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